Cleaning implements



Jan. 27, 1959 A. E. HARTMANN CLEANING IMPLEMENTS Filed Aug. 22, 1956 llllll l xNvENToR Pri Hain/malin BY@ @M United .States Patent O CLEANING IMPLEMENTS Albert E. Hartmann, New York, N. Y.

Application August 22, 1956, Serial No. 605,498

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-209) This invention relates to cleaning implements, and more particularly to a combined clamp and handgrip member for holding one or more scouring pads, Sponges or other cleaning bodies in position for use.

'I'he present invention represents an improvement over that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 574,809, filed on March 29, 1956.

'The principal object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple cleaning implement which is cheap in manufacture so as to be expendable after a certain period of use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning implement consisting of a minimal number of parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an implement of the above character wherein the retaining clamp for the cleaning body is integral with the handgrip member.

The invention resides essentially in the provision of a cleaning device consisting of two shaping discs, a cleaning body between the discs, and a combined clamp and handgrip member whose legs are introduced through the discs and the cleaning body, thereupon lockingly engage one another, and are then spread to form a simple handgrip member for convenient application of the implement in cleaning of sinks, pans, bathtubs and the like.

The above and other features and attributes of the novel cleaning device will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description of two preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a partly sectional view of the cleaning implement showing its elements in partly assembled position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through an assembled cleaning implement; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modified cleaning device.

Referring now to the drawing, and first to Figs. l and 2, the implement consists of a pair of discs 11, 12, each having a pair of holes 11a, 11b and 12a, 12b, respectively, three metallic scouring pads 13, 14, 15, and a combined clamp and handgrip member 16 which, prior to its final forming consists of a pair of parallel prongs 16a, 16b and a short connecting portion 16e, as shown in Fig. 1. When finally formed, the legs 16a, 16b are preferably twisted at 16a' (see Fig. 2) and then spread with their free ends 16a and 16b' bent inwardly toward one another and inserted into a short metallic tube 17 which serves as a spacing member to prevent collapsing and/or untwisting of the handgrip member.

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As described in the above mentioned application Serial No. 574,809, the two discs 11, 12 in the assembled implement 10 compress the pads 13, 14, 15 causing the peripheral portions of the outer pads 13 and 15 to overlap the discs and to form a cylinder which is particularly suitable for quick and efiicient cleaning of soiled pans etc. It will be understood that a cleaning body consisting of a single pad or two pads between the discs will perform in a similar fashion. The tubular spacing member 17 may be of metal or a suitable plastic and of a color different from that of the clamp 16 or pads 13--15. The material of the clamp is preferably spring steel wire or an equivalent thereof.

A modification of the cleaning implement is shown in Fig. 3. This device 20 has its clamp 26 formed in the manner shown in Fig. 2, but the metallic scouring pads are replaced by rectangular Sponges 23, 24 held between the upper disc 21 and a lower disc (not shown) again in the manner previously shown in Fig. 2. When assembled, the Sponges 23, 24 are turned for 45 with respect to one another, thus forming a symmetrical composite cleaning body 28. It will be understood that three or more Sponges may be placed between the two shaping discs and their angular relationship changed in any desired fashion.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A cleaning implement consisting of two spaced substantially fiat discs each having a pair of spaced holes, the holes in one of said discs being aligned with the holes in the other of said discs, a compressible cleaning body between said discs, said cleaning body extending beyond the peripheries of said discs and having its median portion compressed by said discs and its marginal portions expanded beyond the planes of the outer surfaces of said discs, and a metallic clamping device consisting of a pair of prongs, each of said prongs having a first extremity and a second extremity, a connetcing member between and integral with said first extremities of said prongs, said connecting member being adjacent to and bearing against the outer surface of one of said discs, said prongs then extending through said holes in said discs and through said cleaning body therebetween in parallelism with each other and lockingly engaging by being twisted one around another at a point adjacent the outer surface of the other of said discs whereby said median portion of said cleaning body is maintained in compressed condition by said discs, the portions of said prongs between said point of locking engagement and said second extremities thereof being spaced from one another to form a flat handgrip member, and tubular means for receiving said second extremities of said prongs and for maintaining said portions of said prongs in spaced relation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 373,747 Mansfield Nov. 22, 1887 1,131,348 Ban Mar. 9, 1915 1,148,560 Winn Aug. 3, 1915 1,795,651 Hunter Mar. l0, 1931 1,819,800 Turner Aug. 8, 1931 2,225,101 Conk et al. Dec. 17, 1940 2,789,305 Weil Apr. 23, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 161,410 Great Britain Mar. 1, 1920 503,279 Belgium Iune 15, 1951 

